Social Development Centre Waterloo Region

The 2023 Annual Report is Here!

From celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Festival Neighbourhoods, to welcoming 17 new grassroots groups to the CivicHub, to launching the Lived Expertise Prototyping Cohort inside the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness...we were really growing through it in 2023!

We're thrilled to share our latest Annual Report and hope you'll enjoy reflecting on the past year with us. A sincere thank you to everyone who helps make this work possible - the funders, agency partners, City and Regional staff, and most importantly, the lived experts, grassroots organizers, and community allies whom we are guided by and honoured to learn from every day.

Read the 2023 Annual Report

Join Us: Rental Replacement Bylaw Workshop

Interested in tenant rights and advocacy? Please join us for a free workshop on the new Rental Replacement Bylaw that will be going to Kitchener City Council in a few weeks!

Date: Monday, May 27, 2024
Time: 6:30pm - 8pm
Location: SDC Office (73 Water St. N,
Kitchener - enter off Duke St.)

Click below for more info

Growing through it: 2023-24 Annual General Meeting

Please join our 2023-24 annual general meeting to learn about the different ways SDC has grown this past year. PLUS: take in a thought-provoking play on housing precarity, brought to you by KW Kaleidoscope Collective (a proud member of the Civic Hub).

Thursday, June 13, 2024
5:30pm - 7:30pm
23 Water St. N, in Kitchener (enter off Duke St.)

RSVP to reserve your spot today!

Remembering Charles Nichols (1961 - 2024)

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our colleague, friend, and Board member Charles Nichols. As we grieve Charles' passing, we also wish to celebrate his life and the dedication with which he fought for those on the margins. Please join us at the SDC office for a Celebration of Life on Friday, May 10 (5-7pm).

View the invite

Lived Experts Weigh In: Plan to End Chronic Homelessness

Announcement: Lived Expertise Prototyping Report Now Available The Lived Expertise Prototyping process was started in 2023 so that staff and Council at the Region of Waterloo could learn and benefit directly from the insights and knowledge of those with lived or living experience of homelessness and housing instability.

It has been an honour for the Social Development Centre to facilitate this ongoing process, and today we are pleased to share the final report outlining the recommendations made by the Lived Expertise prototyping cohort for addressing homelessness in Waterloo Region.

Read the full report | Read report highlights

You're Invited: SDC Open House!

We can't wait to welcome you into our space again at this year's open house on Tuesday, March 26 (4-7pm)!

Come meet the new faces on our team. Socialize with others who share your values. Learn how you can strengthen grassroots and community connections. And bring a copy of this flyer for a chance to win one of our door prizes!

A Community Dialogue On Homelessness

Save the Date Graphic: Hope for Ending Homelessness - A Community Dialogue No more status quo solutions!
SDC invites you to join community organizers, service providers, and elected officials on March 9 for an evening of learning and advocacy around homelessness and housing policy. The purpose of Hope for Ending Homelessness - A Community Dialogue" is to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to build a shared understanding - of the issues, potential solutions, and the support that's needed from all levels of government to address this crisis.

Reserve your spot today.

Funding Announcement: Plan to End Chronic Homelessness

Funding Announcement Graphic: Plan to End Chronic Homelessness SDC is thrilled to receive funding from Region of Waterloo to continue delivering two critical programs as part of the Region's Plan to End Chronic Homelessness:

The Eviction Prevention Peer Support Program, which plays an essential role in addressing homelessness in the long-term here in Waterloo Region.
The Lived Expertise Prototyping Project, a unique initiative that invites community members with lived expertise in homelessness to directly influence the Region's Plan to End Chronic Homelessness.

Read the full media release here.

SDC is Hiring a Part-Time Bookkeeper!

Job Posting for Part-time Bookkeeper Role at SDC Do the values of the Social Development Centre (SDC) resonate with you? Come and join our team! We are recruiting for the position of a Part-Time Bookkeeper who will be responsible for supporting (with the potential to eventually manage) the day-to-day accounting responsibilities for SDC.

If interested, please review the job posting for more details and apply by February 16, 2024. Not having all the listed skills and qualifications should not in and of itself exclude you from submitting an application. SDC is committed to hiring people with diverse abilities and backgrounds.

Announcing Some Big Changes to the SDC Team

Our ED, Aleksandra Petrovic, is on sabbatical

After nearly a decade at SDC, Aleks is taking a well-deserved break. We feel her absence every day, but hope you'll join us in wishing Aleks the very best as she takes this time away to focus on herself.

Who to contact in Aleks' absence

There's no denying we have some very big shoes to fill. But just over a year ago, Aleks transitioned SDC to a Distributed Leadership model, where ED functions such as liaising with the Board, and guiding the mission and vision of the organization, were shared across multiple roles. With Aleks on sabbatical, the Distributed Leadership Team will fully assume all of her former responsibilities...